[Asahi Broadcasting Corporation] Choose the next star of Kamigata Rakugo! “Marues Presents Kobe Shinkaichi Kirakukan Award 2025” Report on the fiercely contested preliminary rounds & the finals to be held on Sunday, December 7th! Image
URL: Asahi Broadcasting Corporation Press release: October 21, 2025 To Members of the Press Choose the next star of Kamigata Rakugo! “Marues Presents Kobe Shinkaichi Kirakukan Award 2025” Report on the fierce qualifying rounds & the finals will be held on Sunday, December 7th! “Marues Presents Kobe Shinkaichi Kirakukan AWARD 2025” is a
collaboration between ABC Radio and the Kobe Shinkaichi Kirakukan, a venue for Kamigata Rakugo, with the aim of revitalizing the local area and further developing Kamigata Rakugo. The competition is open to Kamigata Rakugo storytellers who have been studying for 16 to 25 years, and involves the direct participation of Kirakukan audience members and ABC Radio listeners as “judges” to select the next generation of stars of Kamigata Rakugo. This year marks the third time the competition has been held. The year before last, Katsura Jakuta was crowned, and last year, Katsura Choba (now Yonenosuke) was crowned. They each received a prize of over 1 million yen, collected from customers at the Kirakukan counter, as well as a year’s supply of “Kodawari Series Ika Ten Daio 28g” as a bonus, provided by special sponsor Maruesu. This year’s preliminary competition took place over four days, September 12th (Friday), 16th (Tuesday), 17th (Wednesday), and 22nd (Monday), with a total of 25 storytellers participating. The top-place winners on each preliminary day—Katsura Kichinojo, Katsura Sanshiro, Katsura Kotai, and Katsura Sankichi—as well as Shofutei Tetsubin, who received the most votes among the second-place storytellers on each day—will advance to the finals, which will be held at Kirakukan in Shinkaichi, Kobe, starting at 6:00 PM on Sunday, December 7th. The following is a report on the preliminary competition written by Yoshito Yonei, a broadcast writer, manzai writer, and rakugo writer who is the brains behind this event. As the
record-breaking summer of 2025 begins to fade, the season for the “Marues Presents Kobe Shinkaichi Kirakukan Award” has arrived once again. The Kirakukan Award was launched in 2023 with the aim of selecting the next star of Kamigata rakugo together with rakugo fans and ABC Radio listeners, supporting that person until they become known as a “big name” in 10 or 20 years, and working hand in hand with Kirakukan to further promote Kamigata rakugo. Eligible participants are Kamigata storytellers who have been practicing between 16 and 25 years, the generation known in Tokyo as “young masters.” The winner of the first competition was Katsura Jakuta, and the winner of the second competition was Katsura Choba (now known as Yonenosuke). Both preliminary competitions were decided solely by audience votes, resulting in heated battles that drew the entire audience into the fray, creating a lot of excitement. The final competition was broadcast live, allowing listeners to vote, further increasing the excitement. The third tournament kicked off on Friday, September 12th. Six competitors on the day were Katsura Yoshinojo (joined in 2002), Katsura Sobei (joined in 2005), Hayashiya Somekichi (joined in 2007), Shofutei Roko (joined in 2008), Katsura Sango (joined in 2009), and Hayashiya Aizen (joined in 2009). The shamisen player is Utsumi Hideka, the taiko drummer is Shofutei Ryosho, and the flute player is Hayashiya Somehachi. These three have been regulars at the Kirakukan Awards since the first awards ceremony, and are a reliable group.
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adaptations, I decided to go with a classic and get straight to the point without any prelude. Sobei’s “Hissatsu Shibunnin”…A new original work in which a boss and his subordinates sort out what’s needed and what’s not. After the six performers gave passionate performances, the audience circled two candidates using the Kirakukan Award’s unique scoring method, and Yoshinosuke was declared the winner, with Somekichi taking second place. The “wild card” is awarded to the person who receives the most votes among the second-place finishers from each day of the preliminary round, and it is always a hot topic every year as to whether Somekichi, who currently holds the provisional title, will be able to hold on to it. Incidentally, the most hilarious bit of the day was Sobei’s lip-syncing, which was frequently quoted during the announcement talk, and the event ended with a “no-show” greeting, resulting in roars of laughter. Sobei’s smile, though it was clear he was frustrated, made an impression as he packed his bags and headed home early.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/40629/611/40629-611-0ac699aad622e87c05ec70b1d8472740-640×480.jpg The following week, on Tuesday, September 16th, the second day of the preliminaries, the six contestants were Katsura Jakugoro (joined in 2000), Shofutei Matsugo (joined in 2003), Katsura Sanshiro (joined in 2004), Tsuyuno Danhime (joined in 2005), Shofutei Kyosuke (joined in 2005), and Tsuyuno Murasaki (joined in 2008). The day saw a major twist in the lottery to determine the order of the contest. Sanshiro drew number 1, but since he had actually drawn number 1 in both the preliminary and final rounds last year, Sanshiro, who believed that “what happens twice happens three times,” seemed disappointed by his luck. Meanwhile, backstage, shamisen player Eika asked Murasaki, “Is this your last year?” “Master, I’m second from the bottom,” and the show began with a fun exchange. Sanshiro’s “Hatsutenjin”… A precocious child’s sarcastic remarks, interspersed with Reiwa-era current affairs material, drew roaring laughs. He even told the audience, “Don’t forget about me until the very end.” Suzakugoro’s “Kokutai Nembutsu”… An addictive piece with a playful groove. Kyosuke’s “Nanadogitsune”… A lively comedy routine, his high-pitched voice and over-the-top reactions generated tons of laughs. After an intermission, Matsugo performed “Showari Thief”… unfolding the Matsugo world with his unique tone and deep voice. Danhime performed “Religious Debate”… Danhime, who is also a Buddhist priest, and her Christian husband had laughs with their exchanges that reminded people of a real married couple. Murasaki performed “Temoe Chaya”… a performance that she had not performed in award races since being harshly criticized in a certain contest. She gave it her all and had the audience roaring with laughter. Everyone burst into laughter, and the votes were closely contested. In the closest contest in the history of the Kirakukan Award preliminary round, Sanshiro emerged victorious, followed by Kyosuke in second place. Somekichi retained the wildcard. Matsugo, who had given it his all and looked refreshed, was wearing a heartwarming casual outfit featuring a T-shirt from Chiyomuzubi, a sake brewery in Sakaiminato, Tottori Prefecture.
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https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/40629/611/40629-611-c87320de7aac9dd114dbdbbdcb427430-332×443.jpg Then the next day, Wednesday, September 17th, the third day of the preliminaries saw six contestants: Katsura Rikizo (joined in 2000), Shofutei Tetsubin (joined in 2001), Katsura Sanko (joined in 2002), Katsura Sakunosuke (joined in 2007), Katsura Kotai (joined in 2007), and Katsura Harumon (joined in 2008). Instead of splitting into separate dressing rooms, everyone joined the dressing room on the first floor, creating a tense atmosphere. The tension felt up to this point had only been felt on this day of the preliminaries. The ones who eased the tension were Katsura Marisuke and Katsura Yoneki, who were performing as percussionists only on this day of the
preliminaries. The atmosphere in the lower section was warm and cozy, with a small commotion when Marisuke left his smartphone in the basket of his bicycle parked at the nearest station, and casual chatter about how Yoneki’s head resembled Eika’s little toe (?).
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/40629/611/40629-611-7ccee4e365bbb34ae6f97387fbf20b3a-499×374.jpg The order was decided, and the performance began with everyone discussing the plot and checking each other out. Sakinosuke’s “Kamiire”…a classic rakugo storyteller trained by Tsuyu Shinji, adapted with modern gags like Chat GPT. Rikizo’s “Hyogo Ship”…the story proceeded smoothly, starting with a pillow talk about the rakugoka’s “Naniwa Exploration Cruise.” Miyuki’s “Yabuiri”…Miyuki, who prefers original storytelling, surprisingly chose a classic rakugo story, leading to a surprising development and ending… After the intermission, Jimon performed “Hatsune no Tsuzumi”… this was his first time competing in the Kirakukan Award, and he performed a rare piece in the Kamigata area. Kodai performed “Daisho”… he had recently been trained by Katsura Jakuzaburo, and he delivered it with his unique fast, energetic and well-defined delivery, drawing laughs. Tetsubin performed “Kenka Nagaya”… he performed with great dignity a piece that Shofutei Tsurushi, who trained him, told him to “do it however you like.” And so, Kodai came in first, and Tetsubin came in second. Tetsubin surpassed Somekichi, who had held the wildcard position up until that point, provisionally earning the right to advance to the finals. In response to the results, Kodai commented, “I felt good,” while Tetsubin commented, “That was close! On the fourth day, I wanted the vote count to be split! Lol.” After the performance, at the invitation of Rikizo, the most senior contestant, all the contestants gathered for a celebration at Tsubameraku, a famous Chinese restaurant in Shinkaichi. In stark contrast to the tense atmosphere before the performance, the atmosphere was relaxed and lively.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/40629/611/40629-611-fd53d7e13dffbb3769bde59458111ea4-599×449.jpg The fiercely contested Kirakukan Award 2025 preliminaries are finally reaching their final day. The seven contestants on Monday, September 22nd, are Katsura Sankichi (joined in 2001), Shofutei Ryochiku (joined in 2002), Katsura Ponpo Musume (joined in 2006), Shofutei Ikuju (joined in 2007), Tsuyu no Makoto (joined in 2008), Katsura Danjiro (joined in 2009), and Katsura Fukuten (joined in 2009). The
combination of the “only seven people in the preliminary round,” “first-time participants Danjiro and Fukuten,” and the turbulent woman, Pompo Musume, made for the most chaotic day of this year’s preliminary round. A unique feature of the Kirakukan Award is that storytellers who don’t usually see each other get together to collaborate on the task of inserting flyers, which can lead to sparks flying, but it seemed like the contestants were enjoying that atmosphere as well. And so, the fourth day of the preliminary round began, where the finalists will be decided, whether they’re crying or laughing. Makoto’s “Tsumabenkei”… Wearing a hakama, he delivered a spirited performance. His rival, Danjiro, joined him in the wings as a sideshow. Helping a rival with sound effects is unthinkable in award competitions outside of rakugo, so this was a scene that perfectly embodied the word “cooperation.” Fukuten’s “Lazy Substitute”… Though completely blind, Fukuten made his entrances and exits onstage without assistance, delivering a passionate performance while rambling on about barrier-free access. Sankichi’s “Kanninbukuro”… As with last year, he opened by saying, “I hate fighting,” but he also weaved in his own true story as he told a story about a married couple, drawing roars of laughter. Ikuhisa: “A Rakugo Story Using More Tsuke Than Necessary”… He literally used the sound effect “tsuke” over and over in Katsura Sanmi’s new rakugo, stunning the audience. Incidentally, Ikuhisa told Ryosho, who was in charge of the tsuke, “Just do it as you like” backstage before the performance. After the intermission, Ryochiku performed “Jakou Ougan” (Snake Fragrance Yellow Round). This new rakugo story was written by Hori Bunshiro, and matched Ryochiku’s worldview perfectly, captivating the audience with its mysterious flavor. Danjiro: “Kawarime”… Apparently, he had originally planned to perform “Pawnshop Play,” but changed the plan in light of the flow up to that point. The later the performance progressed, the more difficult the material choices became. Pompo Musume: “Children are the Bond”… Everyone, both the audience and backstage, expected a pink rakugo performance, but this was an unexpected one. Pompo Musume showed a side of herself as a mother that she doesn’t usually show. After the seven chaotic acts concluded, Sankichi took first place and Danjiro took second. Tetsubin held on to his wildcard spot, advancing to the finals. After the show, perhaps influenced by Rikizo’s performance on the third day of the preliminaries, Sankichi invited all the contestants to Tsubameraku (Fukuten did not attend). The afterglow of the heated battle was so wonderful and pleasant that Sankichi, who is known by everyone as a “fashionable little girl” (small-minded = stingy), was generous with his food.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/40629/611/40629-611-1a988bbe99e14acecf5a7609c278fabb-587×440.jpg After these fiercely contested preliminary rounds, the five who made it to the finals, in the order they appeared on the preliminary round, were Katsura Yoshinojo, Katsura Sanshiro, Katsura Kotai, Katsura Sankichi, and wildcard Shofutei Tetsubin. The passionate performances of these five and all the other preliminary round contestants will be broadcast one after another on ABC Radio’s “Sunday Rakugo
~Namihayatei~,” so don’t miss it! And be sure to come to the final round on Sunday, December 7th, either in person or by voting while listening to the live broadcast. Be sure to keep an eye on the fascinating world of Kamigata Rakugo and the storytellers who will carry the future of the era on their shoulders! Report Composer Takato Yonei . “Marues Presents Kobe Shinkaichi Kirakukan Award 2025” Final Organizers: Kobe Shinkaichi Kirakukan / ABC Radio Special Sponsor: Maruesu Co., Ltd. Sponsors: Sumirin Care Life, Kobe Shinkin Bank, Wada Kosan, Kobe Electric Railway, Sakura Masamune Date and Time: Sunday, December 7th, performance begins at 6:00 PM / ends at 9:00 PM Venue: Kobe Shinkaichi Kirakukan (2-4-13 Shinkaichi, Hyogo-ku, Kobe) Performers: Shofutei Tetsubin, Katsura Sankichi, Katsura Yoshinojo, Katsura Sanshiro, Katsura Kodai, and more Host: Fumitaka Ito (ABC announcer/Manager of Kobe Shinkaichi Kirakukan) Tickets: 4,000 yen (tax included) advance/same-day tickets (tickets are sold out). Inquiries: Kobe Shinkaichi Kirakukan 078-335-7088 (11:00 AM – 5:00 PM) Broadcast: The final will be broadcast live on ABC Radio. In the finals, in addition to the guests in attendance at Kirakukan, listeners of the live broadcast on ABC Radio will also be invited to participate in the online judging.